Polka-Dot Man’s King Shark-inspired nightmare has become a fan-made The Suicide Squad collectible. James Gunn’s R-rated soft reboot of David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad sees some truly unique villains join Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) on Task Force X. Of all these misunderstood baddies, the character that fans found the most bizarre but simultaneously empathetic is Abner Krill, aka Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian).
In The Suicide Squad, Abner is the son of a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who was obsessed with turning her children into superheroes. She exposed Abner and his siblings to an interdimensional virus, causing Abner to catch a disease that causes him to grow glowing pustules on his body, which he must expel twice a day. The multicolored pustules earned him the title “Polka-Dot Man.” In the wake of his traumatic upbringing, Polka-Dot Man killed his mother and was sent to Belle Reeve prison before joining Task Force X. As demonstrated in the film, he now sees his mother everywhere and as everyone, even as a humanoid shark or a giant starfish.
James Gunn recently shared a Polka-Dot Man-inspired collectible made by artist Adam Perocchi (Readful Things), which is a depiction of the King Shark version of Polka-Dot Man’s mom. Leaning into the character's constant visions of his mother, the figurine is enclosed in packaging that portrays actress Lynne Ashe as various members of Task Force X. Gunn teased that he thought the toy was "gonna be big with kids" in the holiday season. Check it out below:
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Gunn is known for being extremely active on social media, and this year has been no different. Not only has he been sharing behind-the-scenes photos, videos, and trivia with The Suicide Squad fans, but he has also been admiring their work. Despite the film's disappointing performance at the box office, many have enjoyed The Suicide Squad at home via HBO Max. It is one of Warner Bros. and DC Films’ best-received projects in recent memory, and fans have been quick to warm to the new band of misfits in Gunn's version.
The Suicide Squad works well thanks to Gunn’s masterful juggling of humor and heart. Unlike his Guardians of the Galaxy projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DCEU seemingly allows him to be darker and less restrained. While Polka-Dot Man’s tortured mind is tragic, the recurring images of his mom are also one of the film’s best jokes. So much so that when Bloodsport (Idris Elba) makes Polka-Dot Man see his mom in Starro, it's a triumphant moment for both the audience and the character. Polka-Dot Man finally sees himself as a superhero after attacking the extraterrestrial kaiju, despite being taken out seconds later. Hopefully, Polka-Dot Man’s story will be immortalized thanks to collectibles and other merchandise like this.
Source: James Gunn/Readful Things/Twitter
